New Jersey men arrested on terror charges

Reuters:

Two men were arrested late Saturday at John F. Kennedy International Airport where they were believed headed for meetings with militant groups in Somalia, The New Jersey Star Ledger reported.

The men were arrested as they tried to board flights to Egypt. They were charged with conspiring to commit an act of international terrorism through a group tied to al Qaeda, the newspaper said, citing officials familiar with the arrests.

Both in their twenties and both residents of New Jersey, the two men had been under investigation since October 2006, the Star Ledger said.

An unidentified official told the newspaper both men were unmarried American citizens.

The U.S. Attorney's Office confirmed the arrests but said the pair did not pose any immediate threat. They are scheduled to appear on Monday in U.S. District Court in Newark, New Jersey.

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One official briefed on the case was hopeful it would lead to a "web of arrests," the newspaper said.

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They apparently belonged to a social network which may have others who could be charged. It is hard to understand the rationale for anyone wanting to go to a basket case like Somalia to do anything. It is a miserable place with miserable people fighting over it.